Alias
by Avenging-Hobbits
Summary: "As the good book says, 'We might be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us.'" Edward Elric was once a superhero. Like most superheroes, he fought for what was right, and defended those who couldn't defend themselves. Until it all imploded into a thousand pieces. Now, five years later, and plagued by an array of personal demons, he's separated himself from that
1. Chapter 1

_*BRRRRIIIING**BRRRRIIIING*_

Edward let out a groan as his hand blindly felt around for the source of the shrill noise that was now resounding in his head. His fingers came to land on the small bedside alarm clock, and with a huff of annoyance, he wrapped his fingers around the ringing clock and gave it a threatening squeeze. The ringing came a strangulated halt as the clock was reduced to a twisted pile of metal.

By this point however the damage had been done; despite his better judgement, Edward was now awake.

With another groan, Edward dragged himself upright, trying his best to rub away the sleep clinging to his eyelids. Once he'd managed to get his eyes opened, he sluggishly pulled himself out of bed and started his morning routine.

He shuffled out of the bedroom, having pulled on whatever relatively clean clothing he could find. He shambled past the living room, which contained only a tattered couch and a scratched coffee table. On the opposite end of the room, and right next to the window (shades half drawn as always), was a desk piled with a disarray of folders, papers, and half empty coffee mugs.

 _Look at you_ , murmured a silken, female voice into his ear. _Living in this dump._

"Shut. Up." Edward growled, but the voice simply snickered dismissively. Edward ignored it, instead focusing himself on the promise of coffee as he entered the kitchen. A quick peer into the coffee pot confirmed that, yes, there was still some of the jet black, oily coffee left. He poured the oily beverage into a mug, giving it an experimental sip.

"Blegh...burned…"

He set the mug on the countertop, before grabbing a half drained bottle of whiskey and pouring its contents into the coffee mug.

Another sip was greeted with a resigned sigh, before he downed the entire bitter mix in a series of gulps. The now empty coffee mug found itself upside down in the overflowing sink, alongside a filthy pile of dishes.

"Yeah...much better…" Edward muttered as the coffee began to take effect. As his energy steadily increased, he shuffled towards the large desk, flopping down into the weathered excuse of an office chair, which creaked threateningly as he leaned back in it.

 _You used to be so much more than this you know,_ the voice returned, gaining a syrupy, condescending tone. _You used to be somebody important._

"And I wonder who fucked that up…" Edward muttered aloud, leaning the chair forward to try and focus on the disorganized pile of papers in front of him.

Most of them were the varying investigations he was already involved in, the standard "Paranoid Rich Person" variety. Almost _all_ of them, though, were focused on the activities of the spouse of whoever saw fit to hire him. As such, Edward wasn't under any illusions as to what his job entailed. The sign on the door might have said "Private Investigator", but the job usually meant more "Paid Peeping Tom".

 _I swear if I have to look at another pic of someone going down on someone I'm gonna scream,_ he thought with disgust as he sorted through the various photos he'd been asked to take.

He supposed had things in his life gone differently, he wouldn't be snooping around in the middle of the night, peering around corners and through windows, seeing far more than he'd ever wanted. But, the job paid, and paid well, and gave him something to do with his time besides drinking alcohol and wallowing in self pity.

And, every so often, he did get handed a case that promised to actually _help_ someone; and those moments, as rare and fleeting as they might have been, _almost_ made him feel he'd made the right career choice.

Emphasis on _almost_.

"Well...didn't know that could even _fit_ in _there_ ," he muttered, his face scrunching up in disgust at the sight of a particularly explicit photo. He was quick to stuff it away, the very act of touching it making him feel unclean. He slapped the folder shut, pushing it away and taking a minute to try and rub the disgusting mental image off the inside of his eyelids, but to no avail.

 _Oh don't be such a prude, Edward,_ came Her voice, laced with a condescending titter. _You and me used to do_ _ **that**_ _one all the time, you know…before you decided to abandon me, that is._

"Fuck off…" Edward groused, his hands covering his ears. He knew from a rational standpoint to not engage with Her, but it was always easier said than done.

 _Don't tell me to 'fuck off', Edward,_ She replied sharply, and Edward flinched. _And if you think you can start that now, well, sir, you have-_

The sharp sound of a phone ringing cut off her voice, and Edward tensed reflexively. His eyes locked onto the battered, warhorse of a telephone that sat on his desk as it continued to ring, the shrill sound piercing him right between the eyes despite his attempts to glare it into submission.

"Ugh, fine…" he groused, grabbing the phone and yanking it off the hook and bringing the receiver to his ear. "Yes, this is Edward Elric, how may I help you?"

" _Helloooooo, Ed!_ " Came an assaultive shout of joy from the other end of the line. Edward winced, pulling the phone away from his ear. He glared back warily, before steadily bringing it back to his ear.

"Hello, Paninya. Any reason why you've decided to call me... _again_?"

" _Pfft! Don't be silly, Ed, you know why I'm calling! How you doing? You aren't dead are you?_ "

"Well, I can't exactly be dead if I'm talking on the phone with you, can I?"

" _Touché, touché I suppose. But nonetheless, I just wanted to check in on my favorite grumpy-guss, and tell him that I'll be dropping over later to make sure you're doing okay._ "

"Why? Isn't your daily invasion of my privacy over the phone enough?"

" _Nope! I don't like seeing you all lonely and grumpy like that. You need to get out, stop keeping yourself boxed away from everybody else. It isn't healthy._ "

"Paninya, I think I know what's healthy for myself. Have you ever considered I _like_ being alone?"

" _Regardless, Ed, I'm not gonna let you stay locked inside looking at creepy pictures all day. I'll drop on by, and we'll take a walk or something. Fresh air will be good for you._ "

"I can open a window."

" _You know what I mean, Ed. Get out, hear the birds and feel the breeze! It's a great day out today, and so I'm going to be making sure you get out and about on something that_ _ **isn't**_ _work related. You need the relaxation._ "

"But-"

" _No buts! Be there in an hour! Bye!_ " And with that, Paninya hung up, leaving Edward alone again. He sighed, dropping the receiver back on the hook and shoving the phone back to its corner of the desk.

"What part of 'stop calling me every morning' don't you understand, Paninya?" He muttered to himself, rubbing his temple as his headache came back throbbing.

At least things were quiet again. The phone call, as obnoxious as it had been, had apparently chased the voice away, at least for now. The only sound now was his own pen tapping on the desk as he tried to refocus on the pictures and his chicken scratch notes, and ambient traffic noise from outside.

It was almost calming.

 _knock-knock-knock-knock_

Good things never last.

Edward glared in the direction of the front door, the sound of someone rapping on the glass panel window going right to the center of Edward's headache, causing him to flinch a little.

There was a pause, the sounds of traffic outside being the only sound before the knocking returned, this time sharper and more pronounced.

"Go away," Edward shouted in the direction of the door, trying to refocus on the investigations he had on his desk. Normally, he would go answer the door, if only to get the person to stop knocking. But he had been slipping behind on his investigations, and it was something to do.

Plus, he must have mixed too much whiskey in with the coffee and his headache, which before had been a dull throbbing in the back of his skull, was now far more pronounced, and was slowly overtaking his senses.

 _knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock_

"Fine, here I come!" he barked. It felt almost as if someone were hammering his temple with a razor sharp ice pick. Even the squeak of the ragged office chair's wheels against the floor as he moved it seemed to be specifically designed to make his grow headache worse.

By the time he'd gotten to the door, his head was pounding. He grabbed the doorknob without much subtlety, barely paying attention to the way the metal crunched pathetically in his grip. He gave the door a sharp yank, only to have it jerk to a stop suddenly. He glared up at the slide bolt, before giving the door another, sharper yank. The chain holding the slide bolt in place snapped, and the door swung open to reveal-

The smiling, hopeful face of his brother, Alphonse.

The door slammed shut almost as fast as it had opened, sending a crack up through the fogged plate glass window. Edward he felt his heart rate spike.

 _No way...it can't be…_ he thought, his eyes darting to the wall where a bedraggled calendar hung. Scrawled in pen, and circled were the following words: " _Alphonse coming to visit!_ "

Edward's eyes widened, and he felt an impending sense of doom wash over him. He wasn't ready for this. Five years with no proper contact, and still he didn't feel ready. His eyes shot towards the closet in the corner. Through the crack in the door, he could see the large duffle bag, practically overflowing with unopened letters.

"Brother? Brother, are you okay? It's me, Alphonse!" Came his brother's voice, sounding almost like a plead. Edward could imagine the look on his brother's face as if he were seeing it for real. Probably had his lips in a slight, worrisome pout, mixed in with the biggest puppy-dog eyes ever seen. It was a face that was the perfect sympathy generator, and Edward could feel his own self-loathing increase.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself, before snaking his hands down into the pocket of his pants, where, crumbled up, where a pair of omnipresent white leather gloves. He awkwardly slipped them on, before slowly lifting his weight off the door and turning around. He paused, hand poised to unlock it. He could see the foggy silhouette of the person behind the door, and he could feel a creeping sense of guilt fill him.

 _Maybe it's for the best…_ Edward told himself, trying to ignore the sharp hiss of _You_ _ **know**_ _it's not_ , from Her.

Edward took a deep breath, his gloved hand covering his face as he steeled himself. He should have known better then to invite him over. To open that dialogue. With it came wounds. Old wounds. Wounds he often tried to ignore in whichever way possible...usually with a bottle.

 _He deserves better than you,_ She hissed again, and Edward could have sworn he _felt_ Her voice pour into his ear like acid. He let out a sharp exhale, shaking his head sharply.

"Shut up!" He hissed under his breath, the door knocking coming again, louder this time, and coupled with the muffled voice on the other side.

"Edward, please open the door! Please?"

Edward's hands wrapped around the crumbled doorknob and slowly opened the door. Standing in the doorway, and looking supremely relieved, was his brother.

"Edward!" Alphonse shouted, spreading his arms wide and practically tackling the slightly shorter blond. Edward tensed up, unsure of how to respond to the sudden effusive response Alphonse was giving him.

"Nice to see you too, Al," Edward stammered, his gloved hands tentatively embracing Alphonse, who simply tightened the hug before finally releasing Edward.

"Oh my gosh, Ed, I'm so happy to see you again!" Alphonse said, before spinning around and grabbing the several large cases of what was probably luggage and stepping inside. Edward merely stepped aside, still slightly dazed.

"What's with the trunk?" he found himself saying, watching Alphonse drag it along before plopping it back on the floor of the apartment, where it landed with a heavy thump.

"It's clothing and stuff. Just the basics for me," Alphonse smiled, obviously overcome with joy at seeing Edward again. He gave Edward another hug, before turning to look at the apartment, eyebrows raised. "Wow, Ed, this place is nice!"

 _No it isn't_ , Edward thought, stuffing his hands into his pockets reflexively. _Damn right it isn't,_ came Her voice, hissing yet again.

"It's okay, I guess…" Edward ended up muttering aloud, watching as Alphonse walked around, apparently scoping out the apartment. Edward's gaze drifted down to the steamer trunk and luggage, the gears in his head turning.

 _Oh shit…._

"Wait, you're going to be staying here?" He asked, following after Alphonse as he made his way into the living room. Alphonse nodded, turning to give Edward a big happy grin.

"Sure thing, brother," he stopped in the center of the living room. "It'll just be you and me, together again as brothers!"

Edward eyebrows rose. "But why?"

Alphonse's upbeat expression dropped slightly. He raised an eyebrow slightly, his golden eyes looking at back Edward with a look of discernible worry. "Why not, Ed? I mean, I'm out of medical school now, and you've obviously got yourself someplace nice, so why not?"

"Because…" Edward began, but the words trailing off as he struggled to word the phrase 'I don't want to see you' in a way that didn't come across as completely callous and heartless.

"Because what, Ed?" Alphonse asked, his voice show matching his face's concerned expression.

 _Because you're a pathetic failure_ , Her voice hissed into Edward's ear, and Edward involuntarily flinched. His jaw tensed, and his hands began to wring the interior of his pockets as his feet shifted back and forth. _You're not meant to be with people. All you do is hurt them. You know that, I know that...but he doesn't._ She continued, and Edward could almost hear the way her feet would have probably sounded stalking over the floorboards of the apartment as her voice rasped in his ear.

Edward closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. _Just ignore her just ignore her_ , he told himself, mentally counting down from a random number before opening his eyes again. This time, Alphonse's face was looking even more worried, and Edward glanced down to see his brother's fingers twiddling, no doubt as a sign of the latter's stress.

"Because I wasn't ready yet," Edward forced out, giving Alphonse the best smile he could muster. Alphonse shrugged slightly, the stress on his face relaxing somewhat.

"Oh, well, I guess that's a reason," he replied, glancing up at a cobweb that was looming in one of the corners. "But it's okay, Ed, I mean, I lived on campus for five years, I can think I can survive this." He gave an overcompensating smile, no doubt an attempt to dispel the painfully awkward and dour aura the apartment had taken so suddenly.

Neither of them spoke for a long period, awkwardly standing across from each other, with Edward's gaze fixed on a random corner of the room, all the while keenly aware of his brother's gaze.

"Meow...meow."

Edward spun around, his eyes latching onto where the sudden, surprisingly loud meowing had come from, only then realizing that amongst the carrying cases and steamer trunk, were two pet carriers. "What was that?"

Alphonse expression brightened, and he strode over to the pet carries, motioning for Edward to follow. "That? That was my cats!"

"Cats?" Edward answered incredulously, shaking his head. "What cats?"

Alphonse was already crouched down, popping open the pet carriers doors, and reaching inside to pull out two somewhat grumpy looking cats. One was a large tabby with a dusty golden coat, the other, a slender, dark brown one with big eyes. Alphonse lifted the cats in his arms, smiling broadly as he brought them close to Edward.

"These cats, Ed!" he chirped, giving them both a half hug as they meowed in protest. "Aren't they wonderful?"

Edward resisted the urge to scowl. He'd long held a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards cats. To him, they tended to remind him too much of himself: Grumpy, introverted, and snappy. To Alphonse however, cats had always been an inexplicable obsession. More often than not, for as long as Edward could remember, Alphonse would bring home stray after stray, ranging from small kittens, to full grown adults. And now, apparently, he'd finally managed to keep a pair.

"Do they have names?" Edward asked, arching an eyebrow and leaning back slightly, trying to distance himself from the yowling pair as subtly as possible. Alphonse nodded, giving Edward a bemused look.

"Of course they have names!" He hefted the two cats again, smiling broadly and giving them affectionate half nuzzles. "Edward, meet Van Hohenheim and Trisha!"

At the sound of the two names, Edward tensed, and he felt the blood melt out of his face. He took a step back, his eyes wide.

"Edward? You okay? What's wrong with the names?"

Edward looked back at Alphonse, noticing the look of immense concern in his brother's eyes.

"Edward, are you okay?" Alphonse repeated, letting the cats go, where they quickly bounded off into parts unknown. "You look a bit pale?"

Edward felt himself draw inward, and he quickly spun around. "It's okay, just a bit…" he forced out, taking a deep breath and trying to stabilize himself. "Just a bit surprised is all. Feel it's a bit soon to be naming your cats after them, you know?"

Alphonse gave a slight shrug. "Well, I figured mother would have liked it. I mean, she always loved cats, Edward, you know that."

Edward merely grunted in response. He took another breath, steeling himself. He had to get out of here. Get away from Alphonse. Get away from the constant reminder of his failure.

"Fine. Whatever makes you feel better." He forced out, then motioned towards Alphonse's bags. "You'd better unpack your stuff then. Move into whatever spot you like."

"And what about you?" Alphonse asked as Edward stalked back to his desk. Edward didn't answer at first, instead focusing on sitting at his desk, and, hopefully, using whatever random paperwork or file sorting he had to do as a suitable distraction.

"I'm going to be working, I've got a lot of paperwork to do," Edward answered curtly, sitting in the chair and rolling it forwards. He grabbed a random pencil, some paper, and popped open one of the folders of photos, pulling out it's contents. He picked a random photo, and began to rigorously jot down random details about it, from the kind of clothing the subjects wore to the way they did their hair.

"You sure you don't want to talk? Like, catch up?" Came Alphonse's voice, and Edward glared up from his paperwork to see his brother looking down at him with concern from the opposite end of the desk. "I just haven't seen you in awhile."

Edward bit his lip briefly, before jerking his eyes back to the photos. "I need to work." he said tersely, his voice brittle. Alphonse remained standing behind the desk before nodding slightly.

"Okay then," his voice was low and his gaze floated across the scattered mess of documents and photos that covered the desk. "I'll be unpacking then…" he then discreetly turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Edward alone again.

Now that he was alone, Edward felt a slight sense of alleviation to the anxiety that had been clawing around the inside of his stomach. He drew himself inward again, refocusing in his attention on the paperwork.

 _Just focus on your work. Distract yourself_ , he told himself. _Just keep busy, and it'll pass...like it always does._

 _Like what always does?_ Came her voice again, sounding insufferably bemused and self righteous. _You mean that tight feeling in the pit of your stomach? That wonderful feeling of slowly building stress and panic?_ Her voice grew lower, gaining a cutting edge to it as she spoke. _I think it's a wonderful feeling. It's slowly crawling over you now, isn't it?_

The sound of Alphonse's cats meowing greeted Edward's ears, coupled with Alphonse's response.

"Yes, Trisha, I know you're hungry, I'm looking for your food right now."

At that, Edward could hear her laugh inside his head, an oily, deceptively bubbly laugh that emerged from the depths of her chest. _Oh how adorable. He named that kitten after your_ _ **precious**_ _mother. Mommy loved kitties, didn't she? You know that more than anybody, don't you Edward? That wonderfully motherly way she'd treat them? The same way she always treated you, even to the end. You miss that, don't you? You miss how she would hug you, would tell you it would be okay? That sense of comfort and security?_

"Be quiet…" Edward growled under his breath, the pencil snapping in his vice like grip. However, Dante's voice continued unabated.

 _She was always so loving. Always so ready to give someone or something a second chance. Even you. But she learned her lesson, didn't she? She paid for how beautifully naive she was. Remember how broken she looked when she died? How did it feel to know that you were responsible for that? That you-_

Edward let out an angry bark, bolting to his feet and kicking the chair away. He stomped over to the front door, grabbing his red overcoat off the coat hanger where it usually sat, blowing right past Alphonse, who looked completely baffled.

"Edward, where are you going? I thought you have to work?"

"Need pens. Pencils broke." Edward replied reflexively, hands already wrapping around the damaged door knob.

"You want me to come?" Alphonse called out over the sounds of his cats pleading for the food bowls he held in each hand. Edward stopped, the door already open a crack.

"No. You settle in. I'll be back."

"You sure?"

" _ **Yes**_." With that, Edward quickly pressed through the doorway, slamming the door behind him, a sharp crack which was followed by the sound of the already cracked window pane falling to the floor. He made his way through the narrow hallway, hands burrowing in his pockets and wringing the interior worriedly.

 _Oh? Picking up pens? That's funny, I thought I gave you an entire box on your last birthday with me._ Her voice came again, carrying an almost offended tone. _Let me guess, you got rid of them, didn't you? Probably broke them. Just like you broke that door._

"Shut up!" he hissed again, making his way down the staircase as rapidly as possible, ignoring how his loud stomping footsteps rung through the air. "Just shut up."

He pushed his way through the main lobby of the building he lived in, not really paying attention to the way people would shoot him dirty looks as he shoved them asides, or even occasionally whisper among each other.

 _Oh look, they're talking about you_ , Her voice said in a sing-song tone. _I wonder what they're saying_ ….

"Shut up, shut up, shut up…" Edward repeated over and over, popping up his coat collar as the brisk autumn wind blew across his face as he exited the building. He immediately turned to the left, continuing forwards in a dogged, shuffling pace. As he walked, the buildings around him, which had always had a somewhat weathered, lived in look, shifted from conformist brick apartments to a somewhat more eclectic, if grizzled, series of small shops, diners, and, most importantly, bars, most of which looked rather disreputable.

 _Oh, I see where this is going. You're going to try to drown me out with your best friend, aren't you?_

"That's the idea," Edward bitterly spat back, ducking into the first dive he saw. He slid to the main bar, and fished out his wallet. Slapping a couple of cens down, he shoved towards the bartender, a mammoth, scuzzy looking man who looked up at him with a single arched eyebrow.

"I assume you want a drink with this?" He asked sardonically, his hands busily wiping a shot glass. Edward nodded.

"Yeah. Whiskey please."

The bartender nodded, setting the shot glass down and reaching under the table to pull out a bottle of the caramel colored liquid. Edward watched it intensely as it filled the glass, and he almost immediately poured its contents directly down his throat without a second thought. He caught sight of the bartender moving to put the bottle away, but quickly reached out, wrapping his gloved hand around the bartender's wrist threateningly.

"Leave it." He ordered, and the bartender looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, before silently letting the bottle rest on the scratched wood of the bar surface. Edward released the bartender's wrist, ignoring how the other man rubbed it, eyes narrowing as he made his way towards another patron calling for a drink.

Edward meanwhile refilled his glass, downing another shot.


	2. Chapter 2

Alphonse watched silently as the last lonely panel of glass fell out of the windowpane of Edward's door, the sharp crack of glass on the floor being the only sound as Alphonse tried to analyze the last few minutes in his mind.

The meowing of his cats caught his attention, and he glanced down at them with a thin smile.

"Right, your food...can't forget that," he murmured, reaching down to pick up the pair, and the small bag of cat food he'd brought with him, and walked into the kitchen, pausing as his eyes landed on the sink, which was practically overrun with dozens of dishes, all desperately needed to be washed. Alphonse took a breath, setting the cats on the floor as he poured out their food into each of their respective bowls.

Alphonse simply stared blankly at the filthy dishes, before letting out a sigh. He'd known Edward to be somewhat disorganized, heck, some might even say sloppy, but never _this_ bad. He huffed, shaking his head.

 _Don't go judging him, Al. He's been through a lot. Just gotta give him some time. You're here to support, not to judge._

The pair of cats seemed satisfied with their food, and quickly set about eating it as Alphonse grabbed a broom and dustpan, walking back to where the windowpane had fallen, and sweeping up the chunks and shards of glass and tossing them in the garbage.

As he swept, his mind once wandered back to Edward's reaction, along with the mess of the kitchen. He glanced towards the kitchen, the sounds of the cats eating reaching his ears. He let out a sigh, his hand ruefully rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Nice move, Al...tell brother you named your cats after your dead parents. Real smooth…" he muttered as he made his way to the trash can. He opened the lid and was greeted by the sight of a cluster of empty, dejected looking bottles of whiskey that lay on the bottom, obviously having piled up indiscriminately over the course of several days. His hands wrung along the broom handle as he stared down, eyebrow knitted tightly.

 _Please don't be doing what I think you're doing,_ Ed, he thought, as his eyebrows lowered and he began to nibble his lip. He shook his head again. _No, Al, don't be judgmental. Lots of people drink whiskey, doesn't mean they're alcoholics. Anyways, Ed was never a drinker anyways. Just-just be glad he's healthy, and that you're here, ready and willing to help. Anyways, you're the one who just dropped in without telling him, so he probably just needs space._

"Holy shit!"

The sudden exclamation caused Alphonse to seize up in panic, and he spun around, only to see, peering through the broken window frame with wide eyes and a shocked expression, a compact, dark skinned woman who looked to be roughly Edward's age.

"What the hell happened to the window?" The girl asked, looking at Alphonse with a quirked eyebrow. "And who the heck are you? Where's Edward? Wasn't he just here?"

"Uh-well, uh, I'm Alphonse," Alphonse replied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "And you just missed Ed. He said he needed pens."

The girl gave Alphonse vaguely suspicious look. "Pens? Okay then." She crossed her arms, her eyes tracing the window frame again. "And he was in such a rush he knocked his window clean out, apparently." She shrugged, letting her arms fall to her sides as she reached through the broken window to unlock the door, effectively allowing herself inside.

"Well, Al, I feel it's rather rude not to introduce myself," she began, closing the door behind her and extending a hand in greeting. "I'm Paninya. I'm Edward's friend. You a friend of Edward?"

Alphonse shook Paninya's hand, shaking his head slightly. "Uh, no, I'm his brother. Younger brother to be exact."

Paninya's eyebrows rose and she gave a slight nod. "Younger brother, huh? Well, that's odd, he never mentioned you before."

Alphonse gave a guilty shrug, his gaze shooting downwards in embarrassment. "Yeah, we haven't exactly spoken in awhile."

Paninya gave him a sympathetic grin, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay, man. I understand. Ed can be a bit of a…" She paused, her eyebrows scrunching slightly as she obviously tried to find the right word. Alphonse raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Misanthrope?"

Paninya shrugged. "I guess. I was gonna go with flat out 'asshole', but I suppose misanthrope works too." She trailed off, looking thoughtful. "You said he went out for pens?"

Alphonse nodded. "Yeah, but he looked really anxious. I would have followed, but he told me to stay home and unpack."

Paninya's expression darkened, becoming noticeably disturbed. Without saying a word, she made her way into Edward's office, her footsteps making heavy, metallic clanks as she walked. She strode up to the desk, picking up the phone that sat atop it, and set about dialing a number, while glancing down at the papers and photos scattered across the desk. Her eyes bugged out at the sight of a photo on the desk.

"Is that supposed to bend that way?" she asked incredulously, pointing at the photo. Alphonse peered down, feeling his face catch fire in embarrassment at how...shocking the picture was.

Alphonse made a move to answer, only to be greeted by Paninya holding up a hand. "Nevermind, I don't want to know." she muttered, sliding the picture away as pointedly as possible.

Alphonse clamped his mouth shut, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he stood next to Paninya. She gave him a smile, one that was obviously trying to be reassuring, but came across as stressed nonetheless. She then held up a finger as the muffled sound of someone answering the other end of the phone.

"Hello, is this the 5th Precinct Central City Police office?" she said into the phone, and she gave a slight nod at the muffled answer. "Okay, great. I'd like to speak to Officer Maes Hughes. Maes Hughes. No, not M-A-Y-S, it's M-A-E-S. Right. Thanks."

She began to tap her foot on the ground, and Alphonse glanced down at the metallic and heavy sound it made. She must have noticed as she cast Alphonse a lopsided grin, cupping her hand to the receiver and motioning down to her leg.

"Automail. That's why they're so damn loud."

Alphonse blushed slightly. "Sorry...didn't mean to…"

"Oh no, it's not a problem-" she halted mid sentence, before removing her hand from the receiver and speaking into the phone. "Hey! Maes! I'm fine, but Edward? Yeah, I think he's gone on another one of his binges. Yeah. I don't know where. You'll keep an eye out for him, won't you? Thanks, that means a ton. Thank you so much. Bye now!"

She hung up the phone, spinning on her automail heels in a single fluid motion and heading towards the door. "Come, Al, we're gonna go hunting for Edward."

"You sure? I thought you just called the cops?" Alphonse asked, confusedly hurrying after Paninya.

"Well, sure, but they're probably gonna take forever to find him, and anyways, I don't like the idea of sitting around waiting, do you?"

"No, no I don't-"

"Then off we go!" she grabbed him by the wrist and practically tugged him out the door, slamming it shut behind her, causing the last, lonely pieces of glass to fall out of their frame and onto the floor.

/

"Wake up, asshole."

Edward woke with the feeling as if his head were in a vice, a grinding, endless ache that overwhelmed his senses. He let out a groan, slowly sitting up and trying to get his bearings. His hand moved to rub the sore spot where the burly, scuzzy looking bartender had either poked or pinched him, it was hard to tell.

"It takes one to know one," Edward slurred, his fingers rubbing his temples. As his eyes steadily found focus, he found himself sitting in a small, ill kept booth in the corner of what seemed to be the dirtiest bar he'd ever seen.

"Look, prick, I ain't got time for your attitude. Get outta here. This is a bar, not a flophouse."

Edward glared up at the bartender, who seemed to be at least twice his size, and gave him a smirk. "What are you gonna do? Throw me out?"

The bartender narrowed his eyes, and the next thing Edward felt was the bartender's iron grip yanking him to his feet, sending Edward's sense of balance swirling off center.

"Hey! Put me down!" Edward shouted, feeling himself dragged out the front door and sent tumbling into the streets. He landed with a crash, rolling onto his back and ended up staring skyward.

"And stay out, ya deadbeat!" Came the bartender's shout, and Edward hefted himself into a sitting position, giving the bartender a glare. The bartender just glared back at him, flipping him off and slamming the door to the bar shut behind him.

 _Same to you, asshole,_ Edward thought bitterly, dragging himself to his feet and awkwardly trying to dust himself off.

 _Well, well, well, well,_ came a silky, feminine voice in the back of Edward's mind, her tone simply dripping with venomous sarcasm. _Look at how pathetic you are._ The voice gave a laugh, and Edward let out a groan, rubbing his sore head again as he started to walk as best as he could.

 _Too drunk to even walk straight,_ the voice continued, as if it were casually observing his struggling attempts at keeping himself on an even keel.

"Shut up." Edward muttered, shaking his head as he paused to lean against a wall for a moment, his vision beginning to swim and distort, no doubt because of the sheer amount of alcohol he'd ingested.

 _I'm not the one who just wasted a whole night of his pathetic existence on a bender like some reprobate,_ the voice countered. Edward merely growled in response, steeling himself and starting to walk again. He stuffed his gloved hands in his pockets, fist clenched tightly as he pressed forwards.

 _Let me guess? Going home to drink some more? How typical of you. Trying to drown your sheer, disgusting mediocrity?_

"Trying to shut you up…" Edward grumbled in response. _Apparently not working at all._ He added bitterly, albeit in his head, which was merely greeted with another viciously scoffing laugh.

 _Just ignore her, just ignore her,_ he told himself, shaking his head again in attempt to clear it. "Leave me alone," he muttered angrily, clenching his eyes shut tightly. "Just leave me _alone_."

 _Oh is that begging I hear? Oh wonderful._ The voice took on a pleasured tone, almost moaning the word. Edward tensed, as he felt her breath washing over his ear, her voice dropping low, earning a throaty, deeply sensual quality. He glanced in a random shop window, and he could have sworn he saw the reflection of an elegant, dark haired woman stalking behind him, her face twisted into a predatory grin. _I loved it when you begged, you know, It was always such a wonderful sound. The way your voice would keen and shake-_

"SHUT UP!" Edward shrieked, sending a clenched fist flying into the reflection of the lady in the window, which shattered with a crash, glass sent flying everywhere.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" A voice barked, and Edward felt a hand grab his shoulder roughly. Edward blinked, the ambient noise of the shocked and confused passers by, and a very angry shop owner, now suddenly sparking into focus. Edward balked away from the shopkeeper, shoving his hand away sharply as he stumbled back, shaking his head to clear away what he swore was the cackling, mocking laughter of the female voice in his head.

"I-uh-" Edward stammered, looking around at the shocked faces of other pedestrians. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"You just cost me at least a thousand cens, you maniac! Get the hell out of here before I call the police!" The shopkeeper bellowed, waving Edward away as he began to sweep up the shattered shop window debris that lay on the sidewalk.

Edward, now very much sober, just nodded without a word, before turning and walking away as briskly as the crowded city sidewalk would allow, drawing himself inwards and shoving his hands deep in his pockets again, and yanking his red hoodie over his head. It wasn't even a particularly cold day, but the hoodie did a good job covering the complex look of confusion and fear that was on his face. He needed to get back home as soon as possible. His chest now felt tight, and he felt as if some _thing_ were following him around, and eying him like a hawk eyed a rat.

 _Just leave me alone, please leave me alone,_ he thought, as he heard the lady's voice giggle in his head again.

 _Oh boy, Edward, it seems you've lost your temper, didn't you? Such a shame, really. You always had such horrible self control. So impulsive. So reckless. Was a wonder you managed to get any of your precious crusading done. And to think you used to be someone people looked up to. Of course, they didn't actually look up to you, but rather that silly kid in the costume. Yes, nobody actually cared about you, did they? They just went about their pathetic, vacuous lives, blissfully unawares of the work you did to make sure they all slept easy at night. And look where all that hard work has taken you. Stumbling down the street like a frightened animal, trying to forget just how far you've fallen. It's actually rather ironic. The hero is now helpless. And nobody wants to help you. You know why? Because you're not worth it. You were never worth it. And now everybody knows you aren't worth a damn, and so they treat you like the wasteful, disgusting, base piece of garbage you are. And there's nothing you or anybody else can do to change that._

By this point, Edward hands reflexively flew out of his pockets and clamped over his ears as he ground to a halt. He let out a cry of anguish, his body collapsing to the ground as he took deep, heaving breaths, his hands tightening around his skull as if he were trying to crush it between them, his eyes clenched so tightly that they began to water.

 _Oh, what now? Are you going to cry? Just collapse into a sobbing, simpering infant?_ The woman's voice hissed almost demonically into Edward's ear, despite his best efforts to block out any noise. _Absolutely disgusting. That's what you always end up doing. You're such a slave to your emotions, Edward Elric. Always letting them overtake you. Dominate you. Just like I dominated you._ The voice continued, growing even more venomous and spiteful.

Edward shook his head, crouched so low his forehead touched the ground. _Good,_ the voice hissed, once more taking on a pleasured tone, but now almost burning with sadism. _Stay there. Where you belong._

"Excuse me, sir, are you alright?"

Edward's eyes bolted open as he was pulled out of the seizing panic by the sudden feeling of someone poking him sharply, and he bolted to his feet, taking a step back and shaking his head again, his eyes darting around to try and locate the source of the poke. He felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder, and Edward swung around, his fist connecting to someone's face.

Edward froze solid as he realized the person he just punched was a police officer in full uniform, who looked up at him with a baffled expression, hand clutched tightly around his no doubt broken nose, glasses askew. Edward stammered, now completely at a lost as to what to do.

"What was that for?" The officer asked, dragging himself to his feet. Edward's eyes widened at the sight of the officer standing back up, and he balked, jumping backwards and raising his hands defensively.

"Okay, whoever you are, I swear, I didn't do this on purpose," Edward said, beginning to notice the growing crowd of curious onlookers, most of whom were watching with a look of fearful curiosity, like he was a circus freak or something. More than a few had begun to point and whisper amongst themselves, while keeping their gazes focused on him.

"Just leave me alone, okay," Edward said to the officer, who looked back at him with a baffled expression. "Look, I didn't see you there and I'm sorry but please, just don't arrest me okay."

"Are you alright, sir? You're looking a little drunk," The officer said, taking a step towards towards Edward. "I think maybe you need some time to sleep off whatever it is you have."

Edward stammered, unsure of what to do. He could feel the tension recoiling in his chest, and could have sworn he heard Her voice laughing at him in sadistic satisfaction.

"Now just gimme your hands, and we'll take you in. You don't seem like a nasty guy, but I can't let you wander around like this, you might hurt somebody." The officer reached towards Edward's wrists, cuffs at the ready, and Edward sharply swatted the cuffs away.

"No! Don't! I can't get arrested!"

"I'm not arresting you, mister, I'm going to take you to the precinct so you have someplace to sleep off your hangover."

"I don't have a hangover!" Edward shot back, internally wincing at the heavy slur in his voice. The officer shook his head, once more reaching to try and cuff Edward's wrists. "Leave me alone!" He barked, and the officer gave him a befuddled, obviously exasperated expression.

"Look, mister, I don't want a fight, okay? Just come along with me, we'll get you someplace nice and comfy, and you can just sleep this off, okay? I don't want any trouble."

"Yes you do or you wouldn't be sticking me in a cage!" Edward shot back, blood rushing in his ears as he felt his heart rate surge. He could feel himself getting closer and closer to edge of the cliff, his self control again starting to break down and crumble right in front of him.

His panicked gaze shot around the tightly packed crowd, and he felt increasingly like he was backed into a corner. Was that Her? Standing among the others, smirking down at his panic? Edward wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a flicker of purple among the ocean of people around him.

"Nobody said anything about cages, so just come along and-"

At the sound of the officer's voice, Edward felt something in him snap, as the frayed rope holding his self control in place finally snapped, and he threw himself forward at the officer like a rugby player. He crashed directly into the officer, sending the pair of them crashing to the ground, knocking several people over and causing the crowd to let out a shout of surprise. Edward grabbed at the officer in a blind fury, and the officer struggled to fight back, trying to shove Edward's smaller, more compact frame off himself as the two tussled.

Edward felt hands grabbing at his body, dozens of them maybe, as several burly men in the crowd dogpiled onto him and began to actively drag him, kicking and screaming, off of the officer.

"NO!" Edward shrieked, throwing himself forward again, and causing the entire group of men holding him back to stumble forward as he tried to pry himself free. "LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE ME-"

The sudden, heavy crack of a fist against the back of his head was all that Edward felt before everything suddenly began to fade, and the last sight he had was the officer walking towards him with trepidation, and slapping cuffs on his wrists.

/

Edward's eyes opened slowly, and he let out a low, keening groan as he rolled onto his back. He blinked, his vision still cloudy from either exhaustion or alcohol. It was hard to tell.

"This isn't my apartment…" he slurred, noticing the swath of brightly colored graffiti on the opposite wall. As he dragged himself upright, the room steadily came into focus.

 _What the hell am I doing in a jail cell?_ he thought, his hand moving up to rub his forehead. He had such a horrific headache. As he looked around, he found that the jail cell was surprisingly spacious, with a good ten feet separating him from the opposite wall. He looked to his left, through the prison bars to see a single police officer, sitting in his chair and looking at him with concern.

Edward felt his face heat up, whether it was embarrassment or fear he wasn't sure. His memory was a total blank, but he was nonetheless in jail. Which meant he must have done _something_.

"I...I didn't hurt anybody, did I?" he managed to croak towards the officer, who shook his head slightly.

"Well, just my nose, but no one else was injured, thankfully," The officer answered, giving him a sympathetic smile. It was then Edward noticed the ugly black and blue bruise that covered the area of the officers face around his nose.

"Did I break it? Your nose, I mean," Edward murmured, sinking into himself in shame. The officer gave a slight shrug, waving a hand dismissively.

"Yeah, but the doc says I'll be fine. Anyways," he gave another chuckle, which seemed especially odd considering his nose was broken. "He said it gave my face character."

Edward gave the officer a wary look. He just seemed too damn _happy_ for a cop. Not that cops couldn't be happy, but usually, if he punched one in the face, they tended to return the favor, or generally act quite brusque with him.

 _Which I guess I deserve it…_ he thought sullenly. He sunk down in the cot where he sat, letting out a long sigh as his headache continued to pound his head.

"How long was I out?" he asked, peering back at the officer guarding him.

"About three hours," he answered, pausing to rub his nose and wince slightly. "Youch, this really hurts…"

The sound of a door opening down the hallway made Edward wince in pain as the grating sound of metal rubbing against metal hit his ears like a train. He let out another groan, letting his body flop back onto his side as he closed his eyes and rolled to face the wall, his hands moving to cup over his ears.

Regardless, he still was able to hear the sound of conversation from outside the cell. Edward just clamped his hands over his ears even tighter, finally managing to block out the background noise of voices that were no doubt discussing him. Still, the metallic groan of the cell door sliding open managed to fight its way through, and he was suddenly enveloped in a crushing embrace.

"Oh thank heavens you're alright!" Came Alphonse's voice as he practically yanked Edward upright in the cot, clutching him as if his life depended on it. Edward was too shocked to react, instead freezing rock solid in panic.

"Hey...Al...let me...go…" he choked out, and Alphonse loosened his grip, allowing Edward to push himself free.

"Are you alright? Officer Maes said you were having some sort of panic attack," Alphonse said, motioning towards the officer who had been sitting outside, who was now talking with Paninya about something or other.

Edward gave a slight snorting laugh in response. "If by 'better' you mean 'have a crushing headache and a hangover', then yeah, I suppose I feel better." He trailed off, looking at the ceiling, vague, alcohol soaked memories of the past few days sputtering slowly and wearily across his mind. The more recent ones, ones of him seized in fear and panic at what he hoped were imagined harassments, were the most vivid. He bit his lip, a feeling of shame creeping over him.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like this, Al," he murmured, glancing up at Alphonse, who merely shrugged slightly, his thumbs twiddling.

"It's okay, brother," Alphonse gave him a slight smile, obviously trying to be supportive, but still worrisome. "I mean, from what Maes told me, you didn't really seem to be in control,"

"But I should have been, Al," Edward snapped back. He winced slightly at his own, unexpectedly bitter tone, and he let out a frustrated huff. "I really could have hurt somebody like that...I mean, I punched that guy the face, broke his damn nose-"

"Ed, that's no reason to beat yourself up," Alphonse cut him off, before rubbing his forehead slightly. "Just be happy that we managed to find you, and you didn't hurt anybody too severely, then it's okay," He leaned back in the cot, keeping his eyes on Edward. There was a pause, long and awkward, between the two of them, before Alphonse cleared his throat discreetly as possible.

"I was wondering, Ed, if there was anything bothering you earlier. You seemed, well, a bit spooked," he paused again, and Edward could tell he probably had the same worrisome expression, with eyebrows ever so slightly raised and lips pursed thinly.

Edward responded with an awkward shuffling of the shoulders, and turning so that he faced the wall of the cell, his back to Alphonse.

"Look, Ed, if it's about Trisha and Van Hohenheim that's o-"

"I don't want to talk about, Al, okay?" He answered sharply, curling himself inwards. "Like, I get that you're concerned and all, but I'd prefer not to talk about that. Alright?"

He heard Alphonse exhale behind him, a sound laced with a sense of vaguely frustrated apathy. "I understand, Ed, it's just that I'm a bit worried about you."

"Then don't be. It's not like I'm asking that you be worried. I can handle myself."

"Ed, don't be so stubborn, I'm just trying to help!"

"Well, I'm not _asking_ for your help. Have you considered that?"

Alphonse didn't respond, his expression taking on a wounded aura. He stood up without word, letting a drawn out sigh. "Yes, I guess it's crossed my mind, Ed, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to leave you alone like this."

Edward heard shuffling footsteps move away from where he was laying down and towards the doorway. "Feel free to come out when you're ready to talk, okay?"

Edward gave a half hearted sound of acknowledgement, simply scrunching himself up tighter. The door closed behind Alphonse rather quietly, leaving Edward alone on the cot in the corner of the cell, with just his own thoughts and self loathing for company.

 _At least now it's quiet...just me...alone._

/

The rest of the day was spent with Edward huddled in his corner of the cell, not really speaking to anyone. He could hear the trio of voices of Alphonse, Paninya and Officer Hughes talking among themselves, before Officer Hughes stepped inside his cell, giving Edward a gentle nudge.

"Mr. Elric, your brother and Paninya paid your bail. You can go home now, okay?"

Edward didn't say anything at first, feeling too ashamed to really come up with a response. Something about the idea of Alphonse, who no doubt didn't have a massive amount of money on him, paying for _his_ bail, for _his_ mistake, made Edward feel pained. He steadily dragged himself upright from his lying position nonetheless, before shuffling silently out of the prison cell.

Alphonse and Paninya were waiting expectantly outside, Alphonse with a look of intense relief and a smile, while Paninya gave Edward a stern, almost motherly look.

"You really had us worried there, Ed," she said, crossing her arms, her automail creaking slightly as she leaned back against the wall. Edward gave her a guilty look, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Where are my gloves…" he murmured, noticing the distinct lack of gloves as he forced his gaze away from Paninya and Alphonse and back to Officer Hughes. "I kinda need them."

Officer Hughes gave an acknowledging nod, motioning for the trio to follow him. He strode around to the front, where, in a small box, where his gloves. Officier Hughes handed them to Edward with a supportive smile.

"Here you go, Mr. Elric. Just want to say I think you're blessed to have friends who look out for you like this."

The statement, no doubt meant to be encouraging if the Officer's expression were any indication, simply made Edward feel worse.

 _Sure...blessed…_ he thought, mutely slipping his gloves on and stuffing his hands right back into his pockets. He gave a slight nod towards the officer, before looking back at the still expectant Paninya and Alphonse.

"I guess we go home now?" He asked, motioning for the door. "I think it's gotten pretty late, and Alphonse's probably gonna need help unpacking his stuff." he added, giving Alphonse his best apologetic look. Normally, whenever Edward found himself in a situation like this, something that was always more commonplace than he'd like to admit, he'd make a point of being grumpy or bitter about, usually because it meant people left him alone.

But something about seeing Alphonse, someone he'd always wished would never have to see him like this, drained away all of his bitterness, instead leaving him with a horrific sense of wrongdoing and guilt. The worry on his brother's face was almost like seeing a puppy cower in fear after getting kicked. And Edward felt like he'd been the one who'd done the kicking.

The walk home was done in silence, as Edward kept himself wrapped within his hoodie, unwilling to speak to either of the other two. When they finally arrived home, Edward made a move towards the door, desperate to get back to the relative comfort and privacy of his apartment, if only because it meant he was away from the prying eyes of the outside world.

"Hold on, Ed," came Paninya voice. Edward halted, his hand just about to turn the handle of the door.

"What is it, Paninya?" he asked tiredly, his shoulders sagging. He turned to see Alphonse and Paninya both sharing a concerned look.

"Me and Alphonse were talking, and I brought him up to speed on you," Paninya began, before Alphonse joined in.

"And I told Paninya that I'm going to take personal responsibility for you, starting today."

Edward arched an eyebrow. "Do I look like I'm five?" he bitterly asked, his hand wrapping around the door handle tightly. Alphonse shook his head, a determined look on his face.

"No you don't. But I'm still your brother, and that means I'm responsible for you, just as you'd be responsible for me." Alphonse walked up to Edward as he spoke, before putting a hand on Edward's shoulder. "And I don't like seeing you like this."

Edward tensed. "I'm just going through a rough patch," he muttered back, his voice growing brittle, hand dropping from the door handle and going straight to his pockets. "I'm not broken or any-"

He was cut off mid sentence by Alphonse yanking him into another vice like hug.

"Don't be like that. It's okay, you can be honest with me," Alphonse said with a comforting voice. "I won't judge you."

Edward looked down at Paninya from over Alphonse's shoulder, and Paninya's hands had slipped into the pockets of her jacket, and she gave Edward a lopsided smile. "It's okay man, you can be mushy."

Edward's lip quivered, his brain trying to process an ocean of conflicting emotions all at once. There was relief at the promise of not being judged, there was guilt over having to even make Alphonse make this kind of a decision, and there was self loathing for seeing himself so brought so low.

"Al, I-I'm not sure…" Edward began tentatively. "I'm not sure I'm ready for any of this-"

"It's okay. I'm here, and that means I'm going to help you." Alphonse said determinedly. He then relaxed his grip on Edward and looked him right in the eye. "Hell or highwater. Because I'm your brother. And that's what brothers do."

Edward inhaled deeply, blinking away the moisture that was clinging at the corners of his eyes. "Well.." he stammered, sniffing slightly despite himself. "You don't have to be so damn mushy about it."

"It ain't mushy if it's true," Paninya shot back with a kindhearted grin as she started up the stairs, plucking the keys out of Edward's hand. And unlocking the door. "Now, come on. It's getting cold out here, and I'm not spending all night standing on the front porch when we can have just finish this conversation inside, where it's warm."

/

"Okay, so check under the sink while I check the cabinets," came Paninya's voice from the kitchen, with Alphonse sounding a response, followed by a mixed clatter of cabinets being opened, and cups and dishes being moved about.

"Just don't break anything," Edward called out, the sound of glass crunching underfoot grabbing his attention. He looked down to see his foot crushed a glass panel with his name on it underfoot.

 _Isn't that ironic,_ he thought bitterly, silently walking to grab a nearby broom and set about sweeping up the shattered mass of glass that had fallen out of the doorframe in his rush to leave. As he swept, he could hear Paninya and Alphonse discussing stuff between them, mostly how Edward's kitchen needed a proper cleaning.

In much the same way as earlier, the normal sense of indignation or frustration that could be derived from hearing people criticize him, was instead replaced by a sense of guilt.

 _Told you you live in a dump,_ came her voice again, hissing in Edward's ear sharply. Edward tensed, exhaling through his teeth as he continued to sweep up the broken glass. I can't imagine what they're finding in those cabinets. Think of how they must be judging you...

"Why can't you just Shut. Up." Edward hissed under his breath, angrily piling the broken glass and stomping away to grab the dustpan and shove the broken shards into it. "Just shut up and leave me alone, you psychopathic bi-"

"Um, excuse me?" Came a meek voice, and Edward halted mid expletive, and he turned around to see an unassuming middle aged woman looking at him through her thick glasses. "Would you happen to know where Edward Elric lives?" she asked humbly.

Edward felt his cheeks warm slightly, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, that's me-I'm Edward Elric."

The woman's face brightened somewhat, but still carried a look of intense worry. "Oh, thank God I found you," she let out a sigh, taking a moment to nudge her glasses up her nose. "May I come in? Is that alright?"

"Uh..." Edward bit his lower lip slightly, his eyes glancing back at the glass filled dustpan, and then at the empty window frame. "Yeah, I guess."

He stepped aside, motioning for the woman to step inside. He followed behind her, leading her directly towards his office, where he motioned for her to sit on the well worn chair that sat in front of his desk. He sat behind the desk in his own chair, only to notice the desk was still covered in his leftover work from the other day.

"Uh, sorry, I've been meaning to clean this place up." He added quickly, blushing slightly as he unceremoniously swept the photos off the desk and started stuffing them into the drawers. He gave her a sheepish smile, before slapping the drawer shut and refocusing his attention back on the lady.

"You have a very nice place," She said meekly, her fingers wringing around the handle of her purse, visibly shaking. Whether stress or something else Edward couldn't tell. Edward gave a slight shrug.

"You're probably the first person to tell me that, but, thanks, I guess." There was an awkward pause between them as the sound of someone breaking some glass and Alphonse yelping a surprisingly sharp expletive reached their ears.

"Who was that?" The woman asked skittishly, visibly tensing.

"Plumber. I had a-uh-a clogged sink. Yeah." Edward glanced down at the woman's worried wringing, and cleared his throat slightly. "So, you were looking for me?"

The woman's face lit up in recognition, and she nodded firmly. "Yes. It's my daughter," she popped open her purse, her hands still visibly shaking as she pulled out a sepia tinted photograph, placing it on the desk and sliding it forwards.

Edward's eyebrows rose, and he picked up the picture to inspect it. "Is this her? Your daughter?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. That's my Sheska."

"What happened to her? Is she missing?"

The woman nodded, reaching into her purse to grab a handkerchief to wipe some of the now visible tears that collected around her eyes. "Three weeks. She'd moved to Central so she could get proper treatment."

"Treatment? Is she sick?"

"She's...she's Gifted."

"Gifted?" Edward asked, looking back down at the picture as the woman nodded, his interest piqued. Edward knew the term well. "Gifted" had sort of become the catch-all phrase for the unique powers and abilities that were beginning to appear in more and more people. In major population centers, like Central City, most "Gifted People" were more or less accepted, the government even providing several centers to allow them to better hone their powers and abilities, and use them for the public good. Meanwhile, outside of the cities, most tended to look on Gifted ones more warily. Maybe it was simply small town thinking, or the fact that, for every Gifted person that helped people, there were some who just used their Gifts for their own advantage, but most Gifted people tended to feel alienated by their peers.

It was a feeling Edward himself knew far too intimately to admit.

"So, you say she's Gifted? What kind of Gift? Offensive? Defensive?"

The woman shifted in her seat awkwardly. "Sheska said she could...she could hear what went on in other's heads. Like, their thoughts, she said," The woman shifted again, taking a deep breath. "It was difficult, when her Gift first manifested. She really is a truly wonderful girl, but our town wasn't so forgiving," she paused again, eyes drifting down to focus on her fidgeting thumbs. "But, me and my husband did our best. We really did, make no mistake," she trailed off again, eyes watering even more.

"Then what happened?" Edward asked discreetly.

"About a year ago, my husband got sick…"

"He didn't make it?"

The woman merely nodded, starting to actively cry now. "Then, two months go by, and she's telling me she wanted to come here, to Central. Wanted to get treatment. She said it was because she wanted to control it, but I think she just wanted a fresh start. Away from the...the…"

"Memories?" Edward ventured, raising an eyebrow slightly, his expression softening. The woman nodded, her increasingly distraught emotional state growing more and more obvious.

"She called me everyday, even managed to meet some friends, but then the calls just stopped coming and I grew worried. I even took a train here to look for her, but when I went to her apartment, the manager told me he hadn't seen her in three weeks!"

By this point, the woman was practically sobbing. Edward said nothing, merely looking down at the photograph. The photo wasn't the fanciest, but the girl pictured in it wore a gentle, unassuming smile, and her eyes peered out from underneath a round pair of glasses. She looked like your typical waifish young girl, one who had her own hopes and dreams. She looked kind. She looked happy.

Edward looked back at the crying mother. The woman was obviously alone in the world, having only her daughter, and now was being forced to face the very real possibility that she now had lost even that. Edward's throat grew dry.

"Ma'am, I'll do whatever I can to find her." He found himself saying. The words were impulsive, words born out of some knee-jerk reaction from the bottom of Edward's soul. The woman stopped crying for a moment, a look of tentative relief spreading across her face.

"Yo-you will?" She whispered hopefully. Edward sighed.

"Yeah. Yeah I will."


End file.
